Politics of Blood (Gray Spear Society Book 8)

by Siegel, Alex

  "Whiskey," Joseph said, "from the top shelf."

  The other Corners ordered drinks, and nobody asked for food. This celebration would be brief.

  As soon as the waitress was out of sight, Joseph said, "Does anybody have any more information?"

  The Third Corner had dense hair the color of steel. A green raincoat was pulled up around her neck. She had the inside contact in the Secret Service.

  "The White House is in a full panic," she said. "I confirmed that Bernard Templeton's home was completely destroyed by an explosion. Emergency crews are searching for survivors."

  "I just got word that the Joint Chiefs of Staff called an unplanned, mandatory meeting," the Second Corner said. "It's going to be a long night for a lot of people. I expect we'll have to go back to the office tonight and attend a few meetings too."

  A hood covered most of his bald head. He wore a brown sweat suit which was two sizes too big.

  Joseph nodded. This was all great news.

  Nobody spoke for a minute. He was curious about these people, but he knew better than to ask questions. Just sitting with them was dangerous enough.

  Finally, the drinks arrived, but they were delivered by a different waitress than before. This one was quite tall and in her early thirties. She was shockingly muscular for a woman. Joseph wondered if she were a professional athlete or even a female bodybuilder. Her long, brown hair was tied back in a ponytail with a gray ribbon.

  "What happened to the other waitress?" Joseph said.

  "Her shift ended," the new waitress said with a bright smile. There was no joy in her intense, brown eyes.

  She handed out the drinks and then placed a large, red candle on the table. With a cigarette lighter, she began to light it.

  "What are you doing?" the Second Corner exclaimed.

  "It's dark," the waitress said. "I'm giving you a little light."

  "Don't!"

  The waitress shrugged and walked away. The unlit candle remained on the table.

  When it was safe to speak, Joseph raised his glass and said, "To us! The world will never know our names, but our victory tonight will ring through the ages."

  Everybody drank.

  The Second Corner glanced at the door and said, "That's enough. I'm leaving."

  The Third Corner nodded in agreement. Joseph sighed but didn't argue. One by one, they discreetly exited the bar.

  When it was his turn, he put some cash on the table. He strolled to the door with an efficient gait. The muscular waitress watched him go with no apparent interest.

  Joseph emerged into cool night air. There was no moon tonight, and clouds covered the stars. City lights filled the sky with a dull orange glow.

  A slight movement caught his eye. There was an alley across the street, and it contained several garbage cans. He stared in that direction for a long moment. Eventually, he became convinced his paranoia was playing tricks on him. He needed to relax and enjoy the proudest night of his life.

  He headed towards his car. He was eager to go home after a long and stressful day. He expected to sleep well.

  Chapter Seventeen

  President Haley watched through the front windshield as the airplane approached the Montgomery County Airpark. There was just a single runway, and it seemed far too short and too narrow for the big bomber. It was like landing an elephant on a postage stamp. He gripped the arms of his chair anxiously.

  The pilot, Tom, didn't seem concerned though. He put the aircraft on the ground with uncanny precision. Reverse thrusters roared. Impressive deceleration threw Haley forward against his seatbelt. The powerful jet stopped with plenty of room to spare.

  Tom drove it over to a parking area. There were designated spaces for airplanes, but the B1-B was several times too large for any of them. He parked in an open area on the side.

  "You're home," Tom announced.

  He and the co-pilot stood up.

  They made their way to the hatch. Instead of walking down stairs to the ground, Haley had to use the rope ladder again. Fortunately, the climb down wasn't far, and he didn't mind a little exercise after sitting for so long.

  He was the first passenger to reach the ground. A group of three men, two women, and a boy was waiting there. All the adults had phenomenally athletic bodies and were well armed, but Haley was starting to see that as normal. The boy captured his attention most of all.

  Haley didn't usually think of males as beautiful, but this child was the definition of the word. His perfect face looked sculpted from pink marble. His straight, brown hair shined like silk. He seemed about ten years-old but was tall enough to be a teenager. The boy's eyes were his most astonishing feature. The irises sparkled like small, blue jewels. Haley had never seen anything like it.

  "Hello," the boy said in a voice as pure as a harp. "I'm very happy to see you're still alive."

  Haley raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was a strange thing for a kid to say.

  Ethel, Aaron, and Tawni climbed down the ladder. They watched the boy with wary expressions, as if he were a dangerous predator. Boreas tossed a couple of suitcases to Aaron before coming down last.

  "Everybody is finally here!" The boy wiggled with eagerness. "This is great. I've foreseen this night for so long. Oh, I need to make introductions. I'm Wesley. This is Neal, the commander of Washington. His friends call him Bear."

  Wesley pointed at one of the big men. With his long, black hair, shaggy beard, and huge torso, Neal certainly had the appearance of a grizzly bear. Haley had never seen a man with beefier arms.

  Wesley continued, "My bodyguards are Charles, Atalanta, Yvonne, and Guthrum."

  All four of them were freakish in some way, but perhaps the strangest was Yvonne. She was a short woman with muscles so big they looked like balloons stuffed under her skin. Haley could see the arteries pulsing with blood on her red face. Even her eyes were bloodshot.

  "Everybody knows the legatus legionis." Wesley pointed at Ethel.

  "Wesley!" she barked. "Don't use my title. The President isn't one of us."

  Without hesitation, he turned to Haley and said, "Ethel is the supreme commander of the North American division of the Gray Spear Society. There are seven divisions in the world, each commanded by a legate. They report directly to God."

  Shocked silence followed. The adults stared at the boy with horrified expressions.

  "What is the Gray Spear Society?" Haley said softly.

  "It protects the Earth from God's enemies," Wesley said cheerfully. "They're holy warriors, sort of. I'm not really one of them, but they help me a lot. They keep me safe and do the things I need done like saving your life."

  "Wesley...," Ethel said in a warning tone.

  Haley shook his head. "God's enemies? What are you babbling about?"

  Wesley raised his perfect, little hand. "Hold on. Most of you know Aaron, the commander of Chicago. He's amazing. I'm really proud to be his friend. Tawni is one of the new legionnaires in Chicago. You got a gift."

  Tawni nodded. She waved her hand through the air and left a trail of black smoke behind. Haley was flabbergasted. Then he remembered her ability to cut rocks with her sword and made the connection.

  "Cool!" Wesley's eyes lit up. He turned to Boreas. "You must be Ethel's new bodyguard, the freezing cold guy."

  Boreas bowed his head slightly. "It's a great honor to finally meet you. They told me you're an enormous pain in the ass, and now I see it's true."

  Haley was getting the impression this kid was very special. Even though there was no apparent threat, his bodyguards were clustered around him in a protective formation. Ethel seemed stunned and at a loss for words. The other members of the "Society" stood awkwardly with tense expressions.

  "Who are you?" Haley said.

  "I'm the Voice of Truth," Wesley said.

  "I don't understand."

  "Look at my eyes, please."

  Haley knelt in front of the boy. His glittering eyes were hypnotically beautiful. The blue color reminded Hale
y of a clear sky at noon.

  A white light washed through his mind. It was like taking a mental bath in warm milk. All at once, he was at peace. Memories from his childhood resurfaced like golden treasures from the past. He remembered his father teaching him how to read, and his mother giving him piano lessons. He stepped out of his body and saw his whole life as a single piece, and he was proud. It was a profoundly spiritual experience.

  There were bad memories, too, and Haley couldn't hide from them. Some were silly, like sticking gum in his sister's hair, but other memories were painful. After fighting with his father one night, he had partially blinded the family dog with a slingshot.

  The white light faded. Haley discovered tears were streaming down his cheeks.

  Wesley winked. "One day, you'll help me fulfill my destiny. I'll need strong, experienced leaders to manage things for me."

  "Manage what things?" Haley whispered.

  "Important things. Don't worry. That's years in the future. I have to grow up first. You have to get through another term as President, and it won't be easy. But when you feel lost, you can always call me."

  Haley stood up. All the new information had left him dazed.

  "Are you finally done spilling our secrets?" Ethel said.

  Wesley nodded.

  "You realize you just made him one of us. He knows too much. He's permanently in the Society now."

  "What?" Haley said. "I never agreed to join."

  "And I never invited you." Ethel pointed at Wesley. "That little blabbermouth made the decision for both of us!"

  "It was going to happen," Wesley said. "I just made it happen now."

  She glared at him. "The President of the United States can't be a member of the Society. We lead secret lives. We're not public figures. Those are the rules."

  "The rules are changing."

  She crossed her arms defiantly. "Nobody told me."

  "You know what I mean. You were just in Chicago." He raised his eyebrows. "The project. The transformation. Have they started the experiments yet?"

  She lost her air of confidence. Aaron and Tawni had thoughtful expressions.

  "Ma'am," Neal said, "what is he talking about?"

  Ethel shook her head. "I can't tell you. That information is far too sensitive."

  He furrowed his brow.

  "We can't stand here all night," Wesley said. "I would like everybody to go to the Washington headquarters now. It will be crowded, so my protection team and I will stay in a hotel. We'll visit tomorrow."

  "No," Neal said. "Aaron, Tawni, and the President aren't part of my team. I'm not comfortable with them visiting my headquarters."

  Wesley laughed out loud. "Are you kidding? You're worried about Aaron?" He laughed again.

  "What's so funny?"

  "It's all right. You can trust them."

  Neal sighed with obvious exasperation.

  "I should go. You guys have other stuff to talk about." Wesley started walking across the asphalt. His bodyguards stayed close behind him. After going a few dozen paces, he stopped and yelled back, "Make sure Ethel and Roy stay in the same room. They're going to have sex!" Wesley walked around the corner of a building and vanished from sight.

  Nobody spoke for a long moment.

  Haley was the first to break the silence. "I feel like he took my brain out of my skull, scrubbed it, and put it back the wrong way."

  "That's Wesley," Aaron said. "Get used to it. It sounds like you'll be working together."

  In the space of a few minutes, Haley's perspective on everything had changed. Important questions had been answered, and deeper mysteries had taken their place. He wasn't just the President anymore. He had become part of something else even more interesting.

  "Who is that boy?"

  "That's a complicated question," Aaron said. "He always tells the truth, even when he doesn't want to. Sometimes he tells the truth about the future. God ordered us to protect the boy at all costs, and he ordered us to protect you."

  Haley's head was swimming. He faced the commander. "Is this a dream?"

  Aaron patted him on the shoulder. "Just let it wash over you. Eventually, it will seem normal. Neal, Wesley was right. We need to move. Please, give us a mission report on the way."

  "Sure," Neal said. "Follow me. I guess we're going to my headquarters."

  He started walking, and everybody else followed. The people from Chicago were still wearing their weapons, body armor, and camouflage from earlier. Neal wore civilian clothes, but he had a gun belt with a big gun on each hip. Haley felt out of place without weapons.

  "My legionnaires observed General Joseph meeting with two other people tonight at a bar," Neal reported. "It was clearly a celebration. We'll have their identities by the time we reach headquarters."

  "Where is your headquarters?" Haley said.

  "Buried under the Smithsonian Institution Archives building."

  "That's right in the middle of Washington!"

  "It's a good location for us," Neal said. "By the way, it's a great privilege to finally meet you. I've been watching you closely for a long time. Feel free to call me Bear."

  "How closely?" Haley said suspiciously.

  "We have bugs in the Oval Office."

  Haley wasn't shocked to hear this news. He was past the point of being shocked by anything.

  "Speaking of which," Neal said, "the White House staff is frantic. All of them have been pulled into emergency meetings. Aaron, if your goal was to make our enemies believe the President is dead, you certainly did a hell of a fine job."

  Haley's heart ached. He had many close friends in the White House who were now grieving for him.

  Aaron nodded. "And the trick is working. General Joseph already incriminated two more people. At this rate, the mission will be over in a day or two."

  They arrived at a dark blue van in a parking lot. Instead of just opening the door, Neal put his hand under the front bumper and seemed to push hidden buttons. Finally, he used a key fob to unlock the doors.

  Everybody climbed in. Haley and Ethel sat in the back seat, Tawni and Boreas sat in the middle, Neal was the driver, and Aaron rode shotgun. Haley could tell the windows were bulletproof by their thickness.

  Ethel grabbed his hand in the darkness. Her touch helped to ease his anxiety.

  Neal started the engine and drove off.

  "What is the Gray Spear Society?" Haley said.

  "It's simple," Ethel said. "God has a plan. His enemies are always trying to disrupt the plan. Our job is to keep the plan on track."

  "That's not so simple. It introduces some rather enormous religious, philosophical, and scientific questions. How can an omnipotent Creator have enemies? Where is God? What is His plan?"

  "Let's not have this conversation now. It's late, and I have a lot on my mind, but I will tell you one thing. We're a secret Society." She furrowed her brow. "At least, that's what I thought. We fight the Lord's enemies. When we're not doing that, we stay hidden."

  "Why?"

  She looked at him, and the darkness in her eyes frightened him. "Because we're monsters and freaks. You've seen what we can do. Can you imagine what would happen if ordinary people knew about us?"

  Haley understood. The Society couldn't function if the public knew it existed. Some federal agencies were covert for the same reason.

  "Now be quiet." Ethel squeezed his hand. "I'm done talking. Try to get some rest while you can. These missions tend to wear you out, and this one isn't done."

  He settled back in his seat. The van drove into the night.

  * * *

  Smythe saw a blue and red sign over the highway that read, "Welcome to Indiana, Crossroads of America."

  "Almost there," he said.

  He glanced at Norbert who was standing at the front of the bus facing backwards. Norbert held an assault rifle aimed in the direction of the passengers. So far, the precaution had been unnecessary. Nobody had caused any trouble.

  "My eyelids are drooping," Norber
t said, "and we still have to drive back home."

  "Yeah. At least we can sleep in tomorrow."

  Smythe drove another couple of miles until he came to a rest stop. He pulled off the highway and parked in the middle of a nearly empty lot. The only other vehicle was a brown sedan. There was a small building containing restrooms, but the lights were off.

  He stood up and told the passengers, "Just wait here. Anybody who tries to leave the bus will get shot. That's not a threat. It's a statement of fact."

  He opened the door, and he and Norbert went outside. The night was very dark, and the air was cool. Smythe took a deep, refreshing breath.

  He cautiously checked the sedan and found it empty. He didn't see anybody in the area.

  "Hello," a woman said in a throaty voice. "You're Smythe, the famous healer, right?"

  He turned around. A thickly built woman with short, black hair was standing there. She carried a compact assault rifle and had two more guns in holsters. Stun grenades hung on her black and gray vest.

  He recognized Winnie, the commander of Detroit. He had seen her at the convention last winter.

  "Yes," he said. "Are you alone?"

  "No. Two of my legionnaires are here with me."

  Smythe checked the parking lot again but saw nobody else.

  "You can leave. We'll take over from here. Aaron gave me detailed instructions." Winnie handed him a set of car keys.

  He took the keys and looked at the brown sedan. "Anything special about the car?"

  "No. It's not even locked."

  Smythe went over and sat in the driver's seat. Norbert quickly sat on the other side. Smythe started the engine and looked at the black bus one last time. Have a safe journey home, he thought. He drove off.

  * * *

  George Seferis was tired of being kept in the dark, literally and figuratively. The interior of the bus was as gloomy as a cave. A few lights ran along the center isle between the seats, and a trickle of illumination leaked in through the front windshield, but that was all.

  A woman and two men entered the bus, replacing the two men from earlier. The newcomers were wearing gray and black body armor. The first man carried two USAS-12 automatic shotguns, one in each hand. The other had some kind of high-tech assault rifle which Seferis didn't even recognize, and he thought he knew them all.